In today's episode, I go behind the packed arenas, behind the NBA TV broadcast, and behind the dancing cheerleaders with my longtime friend, mentor, and someone who has had a profound impact on my life, Coach David Adkins. DA, as he is affectionately known, is the new Director of Player Development for the Portland Trailblazers. After holding similar positions with the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers, he has 30 years of elite coaching experience at every level. Having been an integral member of the coaching staffs at Montrose Christian, Damatha Catholic High School, and the University of Maryland's women's basketball team, Coach Adkins is the best in the business at his craft, and it's not by accident, it's not by luck, it's because he puts in serious work during the unseen hours. I first met Coach Adkins in the summer of 2002, where he was pivotal in opening the door for me as the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Montrose Christian, something I will be forever grateful for.

This season I’m exploring what high performers do behind the scenes. I’ve been enjoying fascinating conversations with professional stand-up comedians, magicians, actors, rappers, dancers, YouTubers, athletes, coaches, and everything in between to find out exactly what they do behind the curtain – when the cameras are off and the arenas are empty – to work towards mastery of their craft and to prepare themselves to perform at a world class level. I hope you find their insights, perspectives, and personal strategies as helpful as I do and use what they share to continue to Raise Your Game.

Warning: this episode contains the occasional use of adult language – words like BLEEP and BLEEP and quite possibly some nudity… so please be advised.

Thank you so much for investing your time with us. I hope we helped you Raise Your Game and provided useful insight on how you can maximize your time and effort. If you found this episode helpful, would you be open-minded to supporting the show? Would you be kind enough to share it with a friend or colleague? Would you take 30 seconds and leave us a rating and review? Those two things help support the show’s mission and message more than you know. And don’t ever forget, a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.

Sustain Your Game teaches you how to bring your A game to every area of your life. With advice from top CEOs, journalists, social scientists, and more, you'll learn the framework for how to beat stress, stagnation, and burnout. Sustain Your Game will help you be the best in your arena, wherever that may be.

Sustain Your Game if available now at http://www.SustainYourGameBook.com

Please make sure to join the conversations at @AlanSteinJr on all major social platforms, go to AlanSteinJr.com to subscribe to my Game Changer monthly emails.

Additionally, you can order the audiobook of Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best at http://www.Audible.com or wherever audiobooks are sold. You can also order paperback or hard copies, for you or your entire team or organization, at http://www.RaiseYourGameBook.com.

Lastly, if I can ever be of service to you or your organization, please visit AlanSteinJr.com and StrongerTeam.com for a variety of speaking and coaching resources.

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